Alresford Cricket Club
Encyclopedia
Alresford Cricket Club was one of the strongest cricket
teams in England
during the late 18th century . It represented the adjacent small towns of New Alresford
and Old Alresford
in Hampshire
. According to John Arlott
, between about 1770 and 1795 Alresford "stood higher in cricket than any town its size has done in the history of the game."
, which as of 1978 was part of Itchen Down Farm. Tichborne Down was also used for important games. Matches were also played on The Nythe and on Fob Down. Old Alresford and New Alresford often played each other, the latter usually winning, but for some fixtures they put out a joint team.
, not too far distant. Many Alresford players also appeared for Hambledon, including Tom Taylor
, Richard Aubrey Veck
and the Freemantle brothers, Andrew
and John
. Some of Hambledon's matches, even including some fixtures with All-England
, were played at Alresford.
In 1778 Hambledon announced home and away fixtures with Alresford for fifty guineas a match, with no "given" men. At this period it was common for the weaker team to bring in players from outside, or from their opponents, to even things up. That this was not thought necessary in this case indicates Alresford's perceived strength.
records seven matches between 1779 and 1785 where Alresford was one of the teams, though the scorecards are not available .
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
teams in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
during the late 18th century . It represented the adjacent small towns of New Alresford
New Alresford
New Alresford or simply Alresford is a small town and civil parish in the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England. It is situated some 12 km north-east of the city of Winchester and 20 km south-west of the town of Alton...
and Old Alresford
Old Alresford
Old Alresford is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England. It is situated some 1 km north of the town of New Alresford, 12 km north-east of the city of Winchester, and 20 km south-west of the town of Alton....
in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. According to John Arlott
John Arlott
Leslie Thomas John Arlott OBE was an English journalist, author and cricket commentator for the BBC's Test Match Special. He was also a poet, wine connoisseur and former police officer in Hampshire...
, between about 1770 and 1795 Alresford "stood higher in cricket than any town its size has done in the history of the game."
Venues
At this period, there were four grounds in Alresford. The main one was Itchin Stoke DownItchin Stoke Down
Itchin Stoke Down is a rural location near the town of Alresford in Hampshire. It was used as a venue for major cricket matches in the 18th century and as the home of the Alresford Cricket Club.-Cricket venue:...
, which as of 1978 was part of Itchen Down Farm. Tichborne Down was also used for important games. Matches were also played on The Nythe and on Fob Down. Old Alresford and New Alresford often played each other, the latter usually winning, but for some fixtures they put out a joint team.
Connections with Hambledon
Its period of greatness roughly coincided with that of the even more eminent HambledonHambledon Club
The Hambledon Club was a social club that is famous for its organisation of 18th century cricket matches. By the late 1770s it was the foremost cricket club in England.-Foundation:...
, not too far distant. Many Alresford players also appeared for Hambledon, including Tom Taylor
Thomas Taylor (cricketer)
Thomas Taylor was a famous English cricketer who played for the Hambledon Club. He is generally regarded as one of the most outstanding players of the 18th century....
, Richard Aubrey Veck
Richard Aubrey Veck
Richard Aubrey Veck was a famous English cricketer who played for the Hambledon Club....
and the Freemantle brothers, Andrew
Andrew Freemantle
Andrew Freemantle was an English cricketer who played for Hampshire during the Hambledon Era and afterwards...
and John
John Freemantle
John Freemantle was an English cricketer who played for the legendary Hambledon Club....
. Some of Hambledon's matches, even including some fixtures with All-England
All-England Eleven
In cricket, the term All-England has been used for various non-international teams that have been formed for short-term purposes since the 1739 English cricket season and it indicates that the "Rest of England" is playing against, say, MCC or an individual county team...
, were played at Alresford.
In 1778 Hambledon announced home and away fixtures with Alresford for fifty guineas a match, with no "given" men. At this period it was common for the weaker team to bring in players from outside, or from their opponents, to even things up. That this was not thought necessary in this case indicates Alresford's perceived strength.
Matches
CricketArchiveCricketArchive
CricketArchive is a website that aims to provide a comprehensive archive of records relating to the sport of cricket. It claims to be the most comprehensive cricket database on the internet, including scorecards for all matches of first-class cricket , List A cricket , Women's Test cricket and...
records seven matches between 1779 and 1785 where Alresford was one of the teams, though the scorecards are not available .
Main source
- Arlott on Cricket, edited by David Rayvern Allen, Fontana/Collins, 1985 edition, ISBN 0-00-637007-1, pp70–74. (Arlott's piece on Alresford was originally written for the Winter 1978-79 issue of a magazine entitled Alresford Displayed.)
External links
- From Lads to Lord's; The History of Cricket: 1300 – 1787
- New Alresford CC website, with a paragraph on the club's history
Further reading
- Ashley MoteAshley MoteAshley Mote was a non-inscrit Member of the European Parliament for South East England. An outspoken critic of fraud in the European Institutions, he himself was convicted of benefit fraud in 2007 for which he served a nine-month prison sentence and was described by the trial judge as "a truly...
, The Glory Days of Cricket, Robson, 1997 - Ashley Mote, John Nyren's "The Cricketers of my Time", Robson, 1998
- David UnderdownDavid UnderdownDavid E. Underdown was a historian of 17th-century English politics and culture and Professor Emeritus at Yale University. Born at Wells, Somerset, Underdown was educated at the Blue School and Exeter College, Oxford...
, Start of Play, Allen Lane, 2000 - H T WaghornH T WaghornHenry Thomas Waghorn , was a cricket statistician and historian. He is best known for his two classic researches into cricket's early history: The Dawn of Cricket and Cricket Scores: 1730 - 1773....
, The Dawn of Cricket, Electric Press, 1906 - Arthur HaygarthArthur HaygarthArthur Haygarth was a noted amateur cricketer who became one of cricket's most significant historians....
, Scores & Biographies, Volume 1 (1744-1826), Lillywhite, 1862